Lifestyle habits among a sample of middle school adolescents in Tunisia

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Adolescent health is a major global concern today. In fact, adolescence is the period of life where different risky behaviors can take hold and is therefore the best prevention phase to guarantee healthy lifestule in adulthood. We aimed to assess the lifestyle of middle school adolescents and to highlight the main behaviors such as the eating habits, the physical activity and the personal hygiene. Methods We carried out a cross sectional study among a sample of adolescents from December 2017 to January 2018 and we involved two middle school schools in the region of Monastir in Tunisia. The questionnaire GSHS (the Global school-based student health survey) was used. Results In total, 802 participants were enrolled with a mean age of 13.6 ±1.9 years, ranged from 11 to 16 years old. Females represented 51.9% of the study population. More than one third of the students (36%) reported rarely or never eating breakfast with a significant difference in girls more than in boys (62.8% vs 37.2%, p < 10-3). Almost half of students (46.2%) reported drinking sugary sodas at least once a day and 86.3% of them reported consuming fast food more than two times per week. In addition, 59.4% of middle school students reported eating fruit more than twice a day and 24.3% eating vegetables at least three times a day. Regarding physical activity, our results showed that 24.4% of middle school students were physically active (1 hour minimum during the day) every day for the last 7 days, boys more than girls (56.5% vs 43.5%, p = 0.02). In addition, 39.7% of students declared they sit at least three hours a day. As for personal hygiene, our study found that 9.3% of students never, or rarely, washed or brushed their teeth; boys more than girls (69.3% vs 30.7%, p = <0.001). Conclusions Our results provide additional evidence on the need to combat sedentary lifestyle and encourage healthy nutrition and physical activity among adolescents. Key messages Understanding the health needs and concerns of young people contribute to implement effective health programs. Interventions in young people should act on various aspects of the lifestyle to ensure an optimal effect.